a bachelor of science in education in special education prepares students to to become special education teachers (sometimes also referred to as intervention specialists), although some graduates may work with individuals with disabilities in non-school settings. special educators teach individuals with many kinds of disabilities including learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, adhd/other health impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairments, and multiple disabilities.

the deaf education concentration prepares candidates to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students across inclusion, itinerant, resource room and self-contained public and residential classroom settings. extensive field and teaching lab experiences optimize this preparation in combination with coursework in literacy, mathematics, science and social studies that help prepare students to take specific assessments to become designated as a "highly qualified" teacher in deaf education, reading and mathematics. instructional methods are comprehensive in nature and provide the unique strategies necessary to address issues concomitant with hearing loss, including language development in both english and american sign language, use of bilingual-bicultural methodologies and various assistive and instructional technologies.

the hierarchical coursework sequence concludes with thematic unit instruction that prepares graduates to work with the core curriculum to address all academic content areas, as well as transition, and students with additional needs. graduates are eligible to apply for ohio licensure to teach pre k-12 deaf and hard-of-hearing students.